Green Yourself!

02 July 2008

"To see the Summer Sky is Poetry, though never in a Book it lie - True Poems flee." ~ Emily Dickenson

After a marathon of work and social activities, ahead of me these next FIVE days lay whatever summer delights I can fill them with.

Of course I've a longish list of not so fun activities - all just as neglected as my musings on PYtB, but there are plenty-o-fun pursuits to choose from as well.

This week represents the last call to put up strawberries, as the local harvest is in decline. I've ordered a flat of local berries and plan to make jam and freeze a few to enjoy in the depths of winter - a delicious taste of summer's sweetness held in reserve like a culinary time capsule.

If I had to classify this summer in one word - what stands out the most is MUSIC. I've stumbled upon the most incredible new group of friends - mostly musicians.

Through the kind host of Anna and Dave' who brew their own beer and invite their huge group of artistic friends to taste it on Wednesday afternoons at what they've dubbed "The Hump Day Brewery, they've opened up a whole new world to me. Not only is the beer incredible - always a new flavor - anything from beet, to heather or dandelion and last week's spectacular hop free english style ale, that tasted more like a beer ade than a classic beer - So refreshing! So talented both of them.

Every Hump Day the people gather at their place, and after a beer or two someone will begin playing an instrument, and then another will join and often many others. I've seen up to 15 musicians jamming at once of every caliber playing anything from folk/rock covers to pure unadulterated improv. I have even joined in with a washboard and bottle cap - and I've been known to tap my beer glass with a lighter or whatever - the music is positively contagious.

Through them I've met my new dear friend Christine - the dynamo that spends what appears to be every waking hour trying to make a difference and connect people with similar inclinations. She got me involved in helping out the Intervale by taking pics during their Thursday evening concert series, It's always a good time with lots of beautiful families with their beautiful babies running around enjoying the grounds and tunes. Photo ops galore.

As I was writing the above, my daughter stopped by, not unusual winter or summer, but the rounds of drop by guests definitely do increase in warmer months. My friends Frieda and Brandon followed soon after and before I knew it, three hours had passed and the beginning of an art project I'd been talking about for a few weeks.

I have this idea for a photo series turning boobs into representational gardens. Brandon was so kind as to allow me to color in his bird tats and build a little flower feeder for them.

Now I have to go deal with those strawberries and a few of those less exciting tasks I mentioned.

Hope all is well with all my friends and readers.Happy summer!XXKHT

"I walk without flinching through the burning cathedral of the summer.
My bank of wild grass is majestic and full of music. It is a fire that
solitude presses against my lips. " ~Violette Leduc,